Partial Dental Dentures for KidsOregon City, OR

Dental appliances like dentures and partial dentures are usually the last thing people associate with kids. Everyone tends to think of the elderly when they think of tooth replacement. The fact of the matter is it is a fairly common issue for kids to lose their milk teeth before they ought to. As a result, there is a decent demand for partial dentures for kids.

Why would kids need partial dentures?

Not surprisingly, kids have a high rate of accidents, many of which involve trauma to their milk teeth. If a child loses one or several of these teeth at a very early age, it could be years before their permanent teeth come in. There are a few reasons that kids are highly likely to experience tooth loss, the biggest one being they are generally much less stable than adults. Kids hit the dirt almost every day. Between playing tag on the playground and partially tied shoelaces, this is a no brainer – kids fall.

When they do knock a milk tooth it’s much more likely that it will suffer significant trauma because the crown to root ratio is so much higher than in an adult tooth. There is less root to support (proportionally) more crown, so they end up getting knocked out more easily.

Kids who haven’t kept up with proper oral hygiene habits - and let’s face it, they aren’t great at it - are likely to experience a high rate of cavities. Many times the best way to deal with pervasive tooth decay in children is to remove the teeth.

There is also a decent amount of congenital issues that affect the number of teeth a child is likely to have. So there is a decent amount of issues that can cause children to be missing, or to lose their milk teeth.

What about just waiting for the permanent teeth?

This is the default question when it comes to premature milk tooth loss and why not? It makes some sense to wait and forgo the expense of what will amount to be temporary tooth loss. It boils down to a question of risk over time.

If the permanent tooth is right on the cusp of coming in, then it could make sense to just wait a little longer and forgo replacing it with a partial denture. If, however, there is a long period of time between when we expect the permanent tooth to replace the lost milk tooth, it may be a much better idea to get a partial denture. Why? Because the milk teeth are placeholders for the permanent teeth below. When a milk tooth is lost the permanent below is free to shift into the gap prematurely and this can easily cause serious orthodontic and alignment issues in the future.

Other reasons to consider a partial denture is to ensure your child doesn’t have difficulty eating, or with self-esteem. Missing teeth for a prolonged period of time can make a child self-conscious and reluctant to smile.

At Great Grins for KIDS - Oregon City we care for your children’s oral health and will do everything we can to ensure you can make an informed decision. Please call us today at 971-470-0045 to schedule an appointment.

Check Out Great Grins for KIDS!

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Specializing in dentistry for infants, children, adolescents and special needs patients